A Boy Like That
by newyorkcitydreaming
Summary: Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sara thinks she and Laurel couldn't be more different, but she soon comes to realize that they are far more alike that she knows. Will Laurel get over her fears and become as carefree and her younger sister? Will she learn that love is all it takes or will it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**SARA**

Five years were separating, sisters, Laurel and Sara Lance. To a stranger on the street, they couldn't have been more different. Although, it wasn't just strangers who thought that. Sara couldn't work out most days, how she and Laurel were related, let alone sisters.

Laurel was the, older, responsible, and more uptight one if you asked Sara. Where she tended to think of herself as a free spirit, she rarely did what her parents expected of her and her choice of a boyfriend was not at what they had hoped for at all.

Even Laurel seemed to have a problem with Sara seeing Leonard. Sara couldn't put her finger on what it was, but they had, had many arguments over the last year about why Leonard was completely wrong for her.

Sara didn't care. She knew Leonard's story; she knew his family and all the stories that went along with that, but mostly she knew that he didn't want to be a part of that.

Senior year was pretty much as she had expected, classes, reading, essays, making out with Leonard between classes, part time job, shopping with Kara, study sessions with Leonard, which turned into make-out sessions.

Sara had raced in the door after work, to get changed to go and see Leonard. She was just about to head out when Laurel had started up again.

"He's not worth it Sara, look at his family. They are nothing but common criminals; everyone knows this."

"He is different Laurel; he's not like the rest of them."

"It seems that way now, but he'll get pulled into just like everybody else, just like..." Laurel trailed off.

"Just like who?"

"It doesn't matter, just trust me on this."

Sara glared at her sister. If Laurel couldn't give her any other details, she wasn't going to listen. Sara walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her. She drove across town to Leonard's and was fuming by the time she got there. How dare Laurel say those things? She thought.

Just as she was about to knock, the front door was pulled open, and she ran into Mick Rory, Leonard's best friend, and pseudo-brother.

"Hey Blondie, I'm just heading out for pizza, you staying?"

"Heck yes! There is no way I want to be at home with Laurel right now."

"What happened this time?" Mick asked.

"Same crap," Sara said, "Leonard isn't right for me, he is just going to end up like his dad."

"You know she is just trying to look out for you right?"

"She has a funny way of showing it. She could at least try to be supportive. Laurel thinks she knows everything, but she has no idea what she is talking about." Sara said in frustration.

"Laurel might know more than you think," Mick said, with a look that made Sara think about his words for a minute. "But hey, I'm gonna get food, I'll be back."

Sara smiled and waved at Mick as he headed to his car before making her way inside. The townhouse was three story with a basement. It was dark brick on the outside, with wood paneling on the walls inside. It wasn't the kind of place that you would assume that criminals lived, but Sara knew that it was Leonard's mother who had pushed for the house.

Jessica Snart was a nurse at Starling General, and although Sara knew, Jessica hated her husband's line of work, hers had come in handy on many occasions. Jessica had chestnut hair, green eyes, and from what Sara had heard about their college years, she was the girl every guy wanted. She had come from a highly respected family in National City, but as all stories went, she fell in love, and that was that. It was hard to understand now, why someone like Jessica would stay with someone like Lewis, but Sara knew that the older woman had stayed for her children.

"Hey Sare," Lisa, Leonard's younger sister, greeted her, looking up from her book.

"Hey yourself," Sara replied with a smile, "How was school?"

"If I never had to go back again, that would be great."

Sara laughed, "I understand completely. Where is everyone?"

"Mom is at work, Dad is out, and Len is in his room," Lisa said with a smile, "head on up, I need to finish this homework before tomorrow."

Sara smiled at the younger girl and then headed up to the second floor. Being in this house, always felt like being in the mansion from Beauty and the Beast. She was free to look around and go anywhere she wanted, except for the basement. Not that Sara had any desire to do so.

Leonard's door wasn't open when she got there. She opened it and smiled when she saw him laying on his bed with his earphones in and his eyes closed. Sara closed the door again, toed off her shoes, leaving them and her bag by the door. She made her way over to the bed and lay down next to her boyfriend.

"Hey beautiful," Leonard said, opening his eyes and pulling out his right earphone to hand to Sara. "How was work?"

She accepted the earphone and stuffed it in her ear, before reaching down and linking her hand with his. "Work was fine, missed you, though."

Leonard smiled and kissed her head, "I missed you too."

They lay there for a while, not speaking, the music coming from his iPod was the only sound. They had been dating for just over a year, and they were content just to be together. Sara rolled closer to his side and rested an arm on his chest while her head found its usual spot on his shoulder.

"I like you being here," Leonard said, finally breaking the silence.

Sara let out a soft laugh, "I like being here."

The music died, and Sara realized, Leonard had turned the iPod off. She looked up at him, as he moved, so his face was next to hers. Sara gave him a confused smile, before he cupped her cheek, leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers. She had been so focused on his sudden change that it took her a moment before she returned the kiss. As he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"I love you, Sara Lance," he said.

Her heart beat in her chest, faster than normal, she was sure of it. They hadn't exchanged those words before. It wasn't that she didn't want to, she did, but Leonard had told her once that love wasn't for him. So his confession here, now, it meant everything.

"I love you too," she said with a smile pressing her lips back to his.

The bedroom door opened suddenly, causing them to break apart.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Leonard's mom said to them, stopping in the doorway. "Lisa told me you two went with Mick to get the food; I was coming in to get laundry."

"It's okay mom," Leonard said, as Sara smiled at the woman.

"I'll be having words with your sister when I get back downstairs."

"Don't bother, she thinks she is funny; that's all that matters," Leonard said getting off the bed and picking up his dirty clothes hamper. "I'll take it downstairs for you."

As Leonard left the room, Sara got off the bed and walked over to his mother who pulled her into a side hug.

"How are you, Sara?" Jessica asked.

"I'm doing alright," Sara replied with a shrug.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong but you don't exactly seem okay," Jessica said as they made their way downstairs together.

Sara liked Jessica. The woman appeared to know when something was bothering her, but she rarely pushed Sara into talking about it.

"It's just sister stuff, nothing I can talk about," Sara said, looking around.

Jessica squeezed her hand and gave her a knowing smile. "How about you come see me after work tomorrow, and we can have a coffee?"

Smiling, Sara nodded at the woman, "That sounds nice."

"Are you organizing a date with my girlfriend, mom?" Leonard said, appearing at their side.

"This isn't The Bold and the Beautiful, Leonard," Jessica commented into the other room to have a talk with her daughter.

Sara smiled up at her boyfriend, who was looking confused. "I like your mom; she's not at all like mine," she said leaning up to kiss him as the front door opened.

"Food!" Mick yelled with his mouth full of pizza already, as he headed past Leonard and Sara to the kitchen.

"I'll kiss you later," Sara said with a grin before following Mick through to the other room.

Dinner had been enjoyable. It always was, when Lewis was out of the house. He was pleasant enough to Sara when she was there, but she was also very aware that it was because she was the Police Captain's daughter. Lewis Snart didn't want to do anything that would draw attention to himself or anything he had planned. From what Sara gathered from conversations not only at Leonard's house but also her own, the police had a good idea about what Lewis was doing, but they had no actual proof to tie him to anything.

After the food was gone and the plates had been cleaned, Sara found herself back in Leonard's room. She was staring out the window when she heard the door close and turned to see her boyfriend walk in.

"So," she started, "words were said before dinner."

"They were," he said walking toward her.

Sara bit her lip, as he moved closer, crossing the room to where she was. She didn't know what to think. What if he regretted saying it? What if he didn't really, feel it? Letting her head fall she stared the carpet in his room as if it was the most exciting thing on the planet.

She felt him take her hands in his and Sara looked up at him again. His eyes were unlike she had seen them before. Instead of the cool blue, she was used to seeing, they now seemed to be as blue as the ocean and full of promise.

"You're worried about it," he said.

"You said that love wasn't a thing for you. You told me you wouldn't ever fall in love."

"I always thought that, but that was until I met you," Leonard confessed.

Sara was sure the smile on her face could be seen from space. She didn't know what to say, her thoughts were all jumbled, but in the best way. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did. Leonard returned the kiss, moving his hands to her hips and pulling her closer to him.

Breaking the kiss, Leonard rested his forehead against hers and Sara looked up at him.

"Say it again," she whispered, with a slight giggle and a smile.

"I love you," he said.

Sara smiled wider, "I love you too."

The next day, after school, Sara drove herself to the hospital to meet with her boyfriend's mother. Jessica was waiting at the hospital cafe when Sara arrived, and the young blonde smiled brightly, as she made her way over to the woman. She hugged Jessica tightly and then sat down across from the woman, who had already ordered her a chai latte.

"Thanks for this," Sara said, sipping the drink.

"It's no problem," Jessica said, with a smile, "How are you doing, Sara?"

Sara scratched the back of her neck and shrugged, "I don't know," she admitted.

"Do you want to try telling me about it? I have been where you are before."

"I just, well I love Leonard a lot," Sara said, "I just wish that Laurel could see that."

"Oh, believe me, she can see it, a blind man could see how much you and my son love each other!" Jessica exclaimed

Sara let out a laugh and shook her head, "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to everyone on the planet, Sweetie."

Laughing again, Sara smiled across the table. It was strange to be able to talk to Jessica so freely like this. She had always thought it would be the most bizarre thing, to speak to her boyfriend's mom, about her relationship, but Jessica had always been their biggest fan.

"It's just when we first started hanging out, he told me that he wasn't ever going to fall in love, that it just wasn't something that he expected in his life," Sara said.

"That was until he met you. He has been smitten with you from day one; he just didn't know it."

"He told me as much last night when he finally said he loves me," Sara said, with a smile.

"It's funny how much you remind me of Lewis and myself; it wasn't easy for us either. So many people thought that he was wrong for me," Jessica said.

"How did you do it? Get past all the, well for lack of a better term, the haters," Sara asked, "I can't imagine it was easy for you."

"It wasn't, that's for sure. I was young, and in love, and as you may have noticed, I'm very headstrong. Nobody was going to tell me what I could or couldn't do."

"That's pretty much the stand I've taken," Sara said.

"I know. I see a lot of me in you; that's why I think you're perfect for Len. And that came out a little more creepy that I planned on it being. I guess what I'm saying is that you are perfect. You love him for him, and you aren't worried about what people say about our family; you know not to judge a book by its cover."

Sara thought about Jessica's words as she sipped her coffee. It was hard to imagine Jessica being her age, and being in love with Lewis. Had he been different back then? Had he been more like Leonard? She had unanswered questions rolling through her mind as she sat at the table. What if Leonard did end up becoming like his dad?

The thoughts stayed with her even after she left the hospital and drove home. Sara hated the idea of something coming between her and Leonard but what if Laurel ended up being right? She was thankful to return home to an empty house. Making herself a coffee, Sara sat on the window-seat in the front room and stared out at the cars passing by. She loved Leonard. She was sure of that, but what if love wasn't enough in the end?

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and before Sara knew it, she was studying for finals. Laurel was still on her case about Leonard, which to Sara seemed strange considering her parents didn't appear to care about it at all. It didn't matter to Sara though. Laurel was wrong about Leonard! Sara knew that because he had proved it so many times over the last couple of months.

She was currently lying on his bed playing with his class ring that was on the chain around her neck. Leonard had given it to her on the night of their senior prom, it was cheesy and traditional, and nothing like them at all but it worked. Sara smiled at the memory of the evening; the ring wasn't the only prom night tradition that they had held up, but that wasn't something she was going to share with anyone else.

Sighing she kicked her chemistry book onto the floor and rolled onto her stomach and put her head on her arms.

"What did that book ever do to you?" Leonard asked.

"It hurt my brain. I'm over studying; I mean when am I ever going to need chemistry anyway?"

"Probably never," Leonard said, with a shrug. She watched as he tossed his book to the floor and lay down next to her.

"Hi," Sara whispered, smiling at him.

As Leonard reached out and tucked some hair behind her ear, Sara wondered how she could love him more than she did, and then he kissed her. It was soft, almost as if he was telling her something, promising her forever. Sara smiled into the kiss as she returned it.

A knock on the door broke them apart, and Sara rolled onto her side, as Leonard sat up.

"You decent?" Mick called out, through the closed door, causing Sara to roll her eyes.

Leonard walked over and pulled it open. "What do you think we are doing exactly? No, wait, don't answer that."

Mick smirked at them, and Sara threw a pillow in his direction.

"What do you want Mick?" she asked.

"Jessica called, she wants us to meet her at that Italian place on 5th for dinner, you too Blondie."

"When did Mom call?" Leonard asked. "I didn't hear the phone."

"She called my cell, you guys ready to go?"

Sara nodded and got off the bed, sliding her phone into her back pocket, and pulling on her boots. Making her way over to the guys she laced her fingers with Leonard's, and they followed Mick downstairs to where Lisa was waiting.

"Were they decent?" she asked.

Leonard hit his sister over the back of the head lightly. "Do you really think we would be doing anything with you downstairs?"

Sara laughed as Lisa rubbed the back of her head and shot her brother a death stare.

"I guess not," she mumbled.

"Can we go? I'm starving!" Mick exclaimed.

Sara pulled open the door and bounced down the stairs turning at the bottom to smile up at her boyfriend and his family. She was happy. Why wouldn't she be? Her life was, pretty perfect. As they headed to Mick's car, Sara all but danced across the road. Then out of nowhere a car came speeding around the corner, as if it had been waiting for them.

It all happened so fast, one minute she was standing and the next Mick had pushed her to the ground. Sara wasn't sure at what point she had, heard the gunshot but there had definitely been one. Leonard was by her side a second later, helping her to sit. Her wrist hurt, but it was nothing compared to the way her hurt felt, as Lisa let out a scream at the sight of Mick holding his shoulder and cursing from the pain.

"Oh my...Mick," Sara said panicked.

"I'm all right, hurts like hell but we should probably go to the hospital before I lose any more blood."

Sara nodded as Leonard took the keys and they got into the car and headed to the emergency room.


	2. Chapter 2

**LAUREL**

This was like history repeating itself. It was as if she were watching her life with Mick being played by actors in a movie, except the actors weren't actors. They were her sister and Leonard, and it wasn't a movie.

Sara had no idea about Laurel's romance with her boyfriend's best friend. She had been too young to know what had been going on. Well that, and no one had known about Laurel and Mick's relationship.

Laurel could have had any guy in the school. In fact, she had them all but beating down her door for dates. Of course, she had a boyfriend. Tommy Merlyn. They were the traditional high school couple, the quarterback and the head cheerleader, she couldn't have been happier, or at least that was what she thought. It was half way through her junior year when everything changed, and it totally turned her world upside down.

She had been Sara's age when she first met Michael Rory, and it was far from love at first sight. Laurel pretty much could have killed him at that first meeting. And not just him, but also their science teacher. How dare he pair her with the class delinquent!

It had taken a little over a week for Laurel to realize that Mick wasn't as bad as she first thought. He grew on her, and by the end of their first month as lab partners, she would have been lying if she said she wasn't attracted to him. When she started putting off dates with Tommy to spend time with Mick, that's when she knew she was really in trouble.

By the time Tommy broke up with her, Laurel felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Now, spending time with Mick was no longer something that she had to feel guilty about.

Laurel remembered everything about their whirlwind relationship. He hadn't cared about school football at all, but at the end of one of the games, she had packed up her things and turned to see him leaning against the bleachers. He had been there for her, to support her. He was waiting for her, and to Laurel that meant the world.

That was the first night she kissed him. Still in her cheer uniform, in the cab of his truck, as he dropped her off at home. She had been fighting the idea the entire trip, but as he pulled up in front of her house, she leaned across and kissed him. It was the kiss, he told her later, that kept him wanting more.

For the most part, their relationship had been a secret. It wasn't that she was ashamed of him or anything, but he was living with the Snarts, and her father was a cop.

Mick had been completely different with her. Laurel didn't think that she could have been more in love with someone if she tried. Things with Tommy had been all about how things looked, how they looked as a couple in public. With Mick she wanted to be with him. She chose to be with him and he chose her, above everyone else.

Things started to change as senior prom rolled around. Laurel was nominated for prom queen and couldn't have been happier, but attending prom with Mick was out of the question. He didn't want to go, and she, although she loved him, didn't want to have to explain to her father why she was going with a criminal. When Tommy asked her to prom, Laurel accepted happily. This, of course, caused problems between her and Mick.

" _So you're going to prom with him?" Mick asked as Laurel walked around the corner to their usual meeting spot._

" _As friends," she said with a shrug._

" _I don't think he sees it that way," Mick said._

" _What do you want me to do? Go Alone?" Laurel asked, shaking her head. "I won't do it! I'm going to be prom queen, I can't go by myself, and you won't come with me. I don't have another option."_

" _Fine, do what you want, Laurel," he told her before walking off, leaving her staring after him._

" _Where are you going?" she called out after him._

" _Home," he replied._

" _I thought that we were going to do something together."_

" _We were, but I'd hate for someone to see us together and ruin your dreams of prom queen," Mick called back to her sarcastically._

 _Laurel watched him get into his truck and drive off, tears flooding her eyes as she did._

A tear rolled down her cheek at the memory. After that, their relationship had only gone downhill further. She remembered their official break up as if it were yesterday. Mick told her that he didn't deserve someone like her, and that they were fooling themselves to think that it could ever work between them.

She just knew that in time, Leonard was going to do the same thing to Sara. Blood was thicker than water, and in the end, the Snarts always chose family above anyone else.

"Where is she? Where is my sister!" Laurel demanded, storming into the emergency room and hitting the desk in front of the triage nurse.

"Who?" the nurse asked.

"Sara Lance!" she exclaimed, hitting the desk again.

"Laurel?" a voice behind her said.

She would know that voice anywhere. Turning around, she came face to face with Mick and shook her head. He had his arm in a sling, and she couldn't say that surprised her.

"I should have known that she would end up in hospital because of you!" Laurel all but yelled at the man in front of her.

"Because of me?"

Mick tried to grab her arm with his free hand and lead her to the waiting area, but she shook him off her. "Don't touch me, Michael," she said with a murderous look on her face.

"Look, Laurel, I don't know where you got your information from, but you're wrong."

"You would say that! It's you, and your brother, and your family. Blood related or not, you're all as bad as each other," she said with absolute hatred in her voice. "I don't want Sara anywhere near Leonard or your family again!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" a new voice yelled, causing both Laurel and Mick to turn in the direction it came from.

"Yes ma'am," Mick said.

Jessica Snart looked like she was about to blow a fuse, and Laurel let out a breath before mumbling an apology at the woman.

"Mick, go sit in the waiting area. I'll find you when I'm done," she said in a stern voice before turning to face Laurel. "I can take you to your sister, but first, you need to follow me."

Laurel was led down a hall to a conference room, and Jessica closed the door behind them.

"What am I doing here?" Laurel asked.

"We're here because you have issues, girl. First, you don't go yelling at my hospital staff or at my son, and before you say Mick isn't my son, you better think long and hard about whether you want to go down that road with me today. Second, Sara is fine, and she is really lucky that all she has is a sprained wrist. Which takes me to my third point: your sister is lucky, and alive right now because of the man you just yelled at in the emergency room. Mick pushed her out of the way of a drive-by attack today. That sling on his arm, that's because he got shot protecting your sister."

"I didn't know…" Laurel whispered.

"Because you came in yelling and assuming things. I know that there's history between the two of you, and I know you don't like Sara dating Leonard. What I can't work out is whether you're annoyed at Mick or at your sister. Mostly, I think that you think you're annoyed at Sara, and maybe in a way you are. But the person that you're really annoyed at is yourself. You're annoyed that you weren't willing to take the chance with Mick that Sara is talking with Len. The chance to have a happy life."

"I never said I wasn't happy," Laurel said.

"But you're not," Jessica responded.

Tears ran down Laurel's face at the comment Jessica made, because it was true. She wasn't happy. She hadn't been happy since she broke it off with Mick, and that was her own fault. She had been too worried about what people would say if it got out that she was dating Mick.

Why couldn't she be more carefree like Sara?

Once Laurel calmed down, she looked over at Jessica and sighed. She wondered how much the woman knew about her and Mick.

"Can I see my sister now?" she asked the older woman.

"I had Leonard take her home, before you got here," Jessica admitted.

Laurel sighed and got up from the chair. She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. She was about to pull it open when she paused and turned back to look at Jessica.

"I did love him," Laurel whispered, as if that would make everything better.

"Problem is, he still loves you," Jessica replied, before getting up and leaving through the door on the other side of the room.

Laurel pushed any thoughts she was having about Mick out of her head as she walked through the front door.

"Sara?" she called, knowing her sister was home, since Leonard's truck was parked on the street.

"In the lounge," Sara answered as Laurel made her way through the house.

Laurel found Sara curled up on the couch with Leonard, watching some old sitcom.

"I went to the hospital. You could have texted me to say you were coming home," Laurel said, trying to hide her annoyed tone.

"Sorry," Sara mumbled. "I mean, I was still reeling from the _almost getting shot_ situation."

Laurel sighed and sat down on the couch across from Leonard and Sara.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected for being shot at," Sara said with a shrug as Laurel watched Leonard kiss the top of her sister's head.

"I think it's time that Leonard left," Laurel said, standing up again.

"What? Why?" Sara asked, annoyed.

"Is a hospital visit not enough for you to realize that his family is dangerous?"

"This had nothing to do with Leonard!" Sara exclaimed.

"That's crap and you know it, Sara! If you weren't involved with him, you wouldn't be in this situation."

"I should leave," Leonard said awkwardly.

"No, you shouldn't," Sara said, shaking her head.

"Listen to him, Sara. He knows that it was his fault, and if he knows what's good for him, he'll leave you alone."

"LAUREL! I thought we raised you better than that!" Her mother yelled as she stepped into the room.

"You can't tell me that you don't think that his family is at fault!"

"Actually, I can. I just spoke with your father, and Sara was the target of the drive-by shooting. It was a gang that was trying to get back at your father for someone he put away. They have since been apprehended."

Laurel felt her heart sink in her chest. She had been awful, not only to Leonard now, but to Mick in the hospital. She could hear her mother telling Leonard that maybe it was a good idea for him to go home and check on Mick, and thanking him for saving her daughter.

She watched as Sara led Leonard toward the door and twisted her ring around her finger.

"Wait," Laurel called out. "I'm sorry, Leonard. I shouldn't have said those things. I was wrong."

Leonard nodded at her, and Laurel gave him a small smile, knowing that he had forgiven her, before heading through the house and up to her room.

"How could you do that?" Sara exclaimed over an hour later as she burst through Laurel's bedroom door.

Laurel sighed and shook her head. "Waiting for Mom to leave before yelling at me, real mature, Sara."

"Gee, think I might get my maturity from my sister? Yell first, ask questions never!"

Laurel watched from her bed as Sara paced the floor. Her sister was mad, that much was clear, but as Laurel watched Sara, she noticed something else: she was scared. Sara, her carefree, fearless, younger sister, was scared, and that was enough to worry Laurel.

She got off the bed, moved to where Sara was pacing, and pulled her sister into a hug.

"You're okay," Laurel said as Sara started to cry.

"I was so scared."

"I know, it's okay. You're okay."

"No, you don't know," Sara said, pushing Laurel away. "You weren't there, in the car. I thought Mick was going to die, and that would have been my fault."

The thought of Mick dying affected Laurel far more than she was willing to admit, but her body betrayed her, and her eyes filled with tears. Her heart beat faster, and she realized that Jessica's words had affected her, too. It wasn't just Mick who was still in love; she was, too, and Laurel knew that there was nothing she could do about it.

She felt Sara pull her into a hug, and she wrapped her arms around her sister, knowing that they both needed the support.

"I'm so sorry, Sara," Laurel mumbled into her sister's hair.

As they calmed down, Laurel moved across the room to sit on the window seat and then looked back at Sara, patting the spot next to her. When Sara finally sat beside her, Laurel let out a breath and then took Sara's hand in her own.

"Are you okay?" Sara asked, squeezing Laurel's hand.

"Yeah, I will be," she said with a small smile, "but there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay," Sara said, "what's going on?"

"I've said some things about you and Leonard, hurtful, awful things, and I'm sorry. I said them because I was jealous."

"Jealous? Of me?"

"Of your relationship with Leonard," Laurel said.

"That's crazy. You dated Tommy, and you always hated the idea of Len's family, and me being involved with them."

"Because I never had the guts to be like you, to follow my heart."

"What do you mean?"

Laurel took a breath, looked down at her lap, and then looked back at Sara, ready to tell her everything.

"Here goes," she said, closing her eyes and then opening them again. "When Tommy and I broke up the first time, it was mostly because I'd become distant. I'd started spending time with Mick, and we started dating."

The look on Sara's face was exactly what Laurel had expected: complete shock.

"You dated Mick?" Sara asked.

"I did."

"But all that stuff about me and Len, why?"

"Because I was trying to protect you, but I was wrong. You and Len aren't Mick and I."

"I'm sorry, I'm still trying to picture you dating Mick," Sara said, shaking her head.

"We didn't just date. We were in love," Laurel confessed, and Sara's jaw dropped.

"Are you still in love with him?" she asked.

Laurel nodded and then sighed. "I made a mistake letting him go, but I was scared. I was too worried about what people would think, and I was concerned about what Dad would do. I guess seeing you with Leonard and how our parents have reacted to your relationship, it makes me realize that I judged them too harshly, and maybe Mick and I could have worked out after all."

"Maybe you still could," Sara said with a shrug. "I know he hasn't dated anyone in ages. Leonard said that he got his heart broken years ago and never got over it. I just didn't realize that my sister was the one who broke his heart."

"I didn't mean to do that. I honestly didn't think he felt that strongly about us. I guess I was wrong."

"He saved my life today. Maybe it's time that you gave him a second chance," Sara said.

"I'm so glad he did. I have no idea what I'd do without you," Laurel replied, pulling Sara into a hug.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, either."

"I'll find some time to contact Mick and talk to him, and at the very least thank him for today and apologise for yelling at him at the hospital."

"You yelled at him?" Sara asked as she pulled away from the hug, somewhat shocked.

"Yeah, then Jessica yelled at me. She is a total badass, and super scary when she's mad."

Laurel laughed and then smiled at her sister.

"We are going to be okay right?"

"Always."

"And maybe you and Len could start hanging out here more, not just at his place."

"We can do that," Sara said, with a smile. "But you have to talk to Mick."

"Deal," Laurel agreed.

Laurel felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It seemed right telling Sara about her and Mick now, as if she were now old enough to understand.

"So, changing the subject, I have to go shopping for a graduation dress this weekend. Did you maybe want to come with me?" Sara asked.

"I'd love to," Laurel said with a grin. "We haven't been shopping together in such a long time. How about we make it a sisters' day out?"

"That sounds perfect."

As Laurel lay in bed that night, she couldn't help but think back, not only on the day, but on her relationship with Mick. There was something about it, about him, that still pushed her buttons. Sara was right. She should talk to him about them, and about everything, but she just wasn't sure how to do it. She had gotten used to them being apart. She was used to not talking to him. What if after the hospital, he didn't want anything to do with her? Surely, if Jessica was right and he did still love her, that wouldn't have changed in a day.


	3. Chapter 3

**SARA**

Graduation was just over a week away, and Sara honestly couldn't wait. She couldn't wait to be out of that place for good. She and Leonard had talked about taking a trip after graduation. They hadn't made an official plan, but as long as she was with him, she didn't care.

It had been two months since the shooting, and from what she could tell, her sister still hadn't gotten enough courage to go and speak to Mick. Sara knew that she shouldn't push it, but part of her wanted nothing more than to slap Laurel.

Sara had of course, told Leonard about her conversation with Laurel. They had agreed not to talk to Mick about it, but part of Sara wanted to know why he hadn't fought harder for Laurel. After all this time, if he still loved her sister, why wasn't he at least trying to win her back? It seemed dumb to Sara, being in love with someone and not being with them. She couldn't imagine not being with Leonard.

"Hello, anyone home?" she called as she opened the door to the Snart residence.

The place seemed quiet, as if no one was home, although she had a feeling Leonard was just in his room and couldn't hear her.

A figure walked around the corner, and Sara gave a small smile upon seeing Lewis.

"Sara, Leonard said you were coming over. How is the wrist?"

"It's much better, thank you," she replied.

"I'm glad to hear it. How's the studying coming along for finals?"

Sara shrugged at the man. "Okay I guess, I'll just be glad when it's all over."

"Mick was the same way, couldn't wait to get out of school, but then again, he also had his heart broken, so I can't imagine seeing his ex every day was fun," Lewis said.

"Do you know who he was seeing?" Sara asked.

"Never said, and honestly, I didn't feel like I needed to know. If Mick wanted us to know, he would have told us."

Sara nodded. Since the shooting Lewis had acted different toward her. He was, well, for lack of a better word, he was nice. He used to be gruff and all but grunt responses at Sara, but now he actually held conversations with her. She wondered if this was the side Jessica saw all those years ago.

"It's hard to picture Mick dating. I don't think I've seen him with anyone in all the time I've know him," Sara said.

"He hasn't dated since then. If you ask me, I think he's still carrying a torch for that girl."

"He's so tough, I just don't think about him dating, not in the sense of being head-over-heels in love," Sara said with a shrug.

"He is tough, but Mick has a lot of heart, always has. But look, I'm on my way out, are you hanging around for dinner?"

"I thought I would, yes," Sara replied.

"Okay, I'll let Jess know. She'll be home in about 20 minutes, and Leonard is in his room. You can head on up."

Sara said goodbye to Lewis and headed up the stairs. She pushed open the door to Leonard's room and found him once more on his bed with his earphones in. Making her way across the room, she sat on the bed and pulled his earphones out.

"So, I just had a real conversation with your dad," she told him as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Oh?"

"Turns out that he knew about Mick's break up, but he never knew who the girl was," Sara said.

"You're going to get yourself involved in this aren't you?" Leonard asked.

"Don't you want Mick and Laurel to be happy again?" Sara questioned.

"Of course I want them to be happy, but it's their issue, not ours, Sara. They need to fix it themselves, and as far as we are aware, they haven't even spoken since the hospital."

"I'm telling you, they need a push," Sara said.

"And I'm telling you that if you push them, it may not turn out the way you want it to."

Sara thought about Leonard's words and pouted at him. He was most likely right, and she hated when that happened. She took his hand in hers, and Leonard pulled her down next to him.

"You're right," she finally whispered.

"I'm sorry what? I didn't get that," Leonard said with a smirk.

"I said you're right," she mumbled, glaring at him.

He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers in reply, before he pulled away.

"I think that's the first time you've ever said that."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, but it will also be the last!" Sara exclaimed.

She sighed as she laid her head against his shoulder. Part of her wanted to ignore Leonard and do something for her sister and Mick, but the bigger part didn't want to cause them more heartache.

"So are we actually going to study tonight, or is your brain too busy plotting out the idea for a new romantic comedy?" Leonard asked.

"Ha ha, you're very funny," Sara said, sarcastically. "We'll study, I just want to lay here for a bit longer though."

"We're free!" Sara exclaimed to Felicity, Caitlin, and Kara as they walked out of their last exam.

"Now graduation and the rest of our lives," Felicity said, looping her arm through Caitlin's.

"I suggest shopping and Starbucks at the mall," Kara said. "Unless you have plans with Len, Sare?"

"Nope, well not till later," Sara said. "I'm totally free."

There was something about being at the mall with her friends that made Sara feel like she was in a chick flick. As they sat in Starbucks, Sara couldn't help but think over their years in school. If is wasn't for these three girls, she wouldn't have made it, that was for sure. She and Caitlin were the only ones who would be in Central City the following year. Felicity was moving to Star City, and Kara was headed to National City for college. They had made a pact to still see each other when they could, but Sara was a realist, and she knew that keeping in touch with friends from high school was easier said than done.

The girls had shopped and gossiped and reminisced for over two hours before finally deciding to head home. They all agreed to do breakfast the morning of graduation and get ready together. As Sara dropped them home, she also reminded them of the graduation party her parents were throwing and told them to make sure their families had the invitations.

She was in the lounge watching tv when the front door opened later that night.

"Look who I found pulling up behind me," Laurel said as she and Leonard walked through the door.

Sara smiled, got off the couch, and all but flew into Leonard's arms.

"We are done with school," she said, smiling as she pulled back.

"How did your last exam go?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah, I think I did okay, and then the girls and I went shopping, so that was fun," Sara replied.

"How did yours go, Leonard?" Laurel asked.

Sara smiled at Laurel as Leonard answered. She knew her sister had really been trying to accept him when he was in their house, to show him that she had changed.

"Dad and Mom went out. They left money for pizza or whatever," Sara said. "Len and I were going to watch a movie, if you wanted to join us?"

"Thanks, but I just came home to get changed. I'm meeting Alex and Iris for dinner," Laurel replied with a smile.

They watched as Laurel headed to her room to get changed, and then Sara turned to face Leonard. She stood on her toes and kissed him quickly before pulling back.

"So pizza or something else?" she asked.

"I'm good with whatever you want," he replied.

"This is why I love you."

"Because I let you choose dinner?"

"Among other things," Sara said, with a wicked grin.

"Is that so?"

"Mhmm, maybe later we can get to those other things," she said as she ran hand down his chest, and then she turned and walked toward the kitchen.

"You're evil, Sara," Leonard called after her.

"You love me," she replied, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

The food was cold and the movie they were supposed to be watching was rolling the end credits when Sara pulled her top back on and Leonard did up his jeans. She looked across at him and smiled before picking up the chinese takeout.

"I guess I'll heat this up," she said with a laugh.

"Probably better than eating it cold," Leonard agreed, following her into the kitchen.

Sara put the food in the microwave and hit the start button as Leonard wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you, Sara Lance," he said.

Sara smiled and turned in his arms. "I love you, too, Leonard Snart."

The microwave beeped, and Sara moved out of his arms to grab the food.

"We should probably eat this before it goes cold again," she said, handing him a bowl.

"You're probably right."

"No, I am right," Sara said with a smirk.

Graduation turned out to be filled with mixed emotions. If emotions were colors, Sara felt as if she were going through the whole rainbow. The pink was definitely the embarrassment she felt as she walking across the stage with her dad and Mick standing and cheering.

She stood in the garden and watched as people mingled about. Sara hadn't wanted to have a graduation party, but her parents had insisted, and as she looked around now, she was glad that they had.

Sara sipped her drink as she watched Felicity staring up at Oliver as they spoke to Tommy. Oliver had an arm around Felicity's waist and was holding her close. Sara smiled at the scene in front of her. Oliver had arrived from Star City the night before as a surprise, and Felicity had been over the moon.

"What are you thinking about?" Leonard asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Sara turned to look at Leonard and smiled. "I was just watching Liss; she looks so happy," Sara said, nodding her head in the direction of her friend.

"You know, that's what people see when they look at you too," Leonard said.

"That's because you make me so happy," Sara replied, leaning up and kissing him softly.

She pulled back after a moment and leaned her head against Leonard's chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So we graduated," Leonard said as he rested his chin on Sara's head and let out a content sigh.

"We are. It was nice that your dad came today," Sara said.

"To graduation or to this party?"

"Well, both, although I didn't believe he would come here."

"Me either. Coming to the police chief's house for a party, I'm pretty sure hell has frozen over," Leonard said.

Sara laughed at her boyfriend's comment. "Well, you like the cold, so you'll fit in there real well," she joked.

Leonard poked her in the side, and Sara let out a small squeal. She tried to move away from him, but he caught her hand and pulled her back against him.

"If that's where I'm going, I hope you like the cold, too, because I'm not going without you."

"You two are sickly adorable," Laurel said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you, I think," Leonard replied.

"I just wanted to come over and say that I'm really proud of the two of you. I know I was never the biggest fan of you two being a couple, but I'm glad that you both got through high school and didn't allow anyone to change how you felt. You are both far stronger than me," Laurel said pulling them both into a hug. "Look after my little sister, Leonard."

Sara wanted to call out to Laurel as her sister walked about from them, but Leonard stopped her.

"There's no point in pushing things, remember," he said.

"I know, but Mick is here, and she is here, and they are just so stupid."

"If it's meant to be, it will happen," Leonard said.

Summer days had been long and hot, and they'd flown by too quickly. Kara had left for National City, Felicity had moved to Star City with Oliver, and Caitlin had interned over the summer at Central City memorial hospital. It was early July when Sara realized her parents were drifting apart, but at the same time, Leonard's seemed to be closer than she'd ever known them to be. Lewis was different, too. From what Sara could tell, he wasn't doing as many jobs as he had in the past, and he had even encouraged some of the guys to get other work. But the biggest change for Sara came when Laurel moved out and got her own place.

By the time summer faded into fall and Sara and Leonard had started college, her parents had split and her mother had moved to Gotham. Attending Central City College allowed Sara and Leonard to live at home while taking classes, which Sara was thankful for, because it meant not leaving her father alone. She also knew that Jessica was happy to still have Leonard at home, especially for Lisa's sake.

It was a cold night in mid-October when Sara heard the argument between Lewis and Jessica. It floored her. She didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but they weren't exactly quiet. Lisa was at a friend's place, and Leonard was finishing up at work, so she had let herself into the house, made her way through to the kitchen, and that's when she heard it.

"You promised no more jobs," Jessica said.

"This is the last one, I can promise you that, Jess," Lewis replied.

"You swore to me the night of Leonard's graduation that you would be done by the time he went to college!" Jessica exclaimed, clearly pissed off at her husband.

"I swear, this is the last one."

"I don't want this affecting our kids, Lewis. It's bad enough that you have Michael involved."

"Jess, this job will be easy, in and out. I promise that you have nothing to worry about, and Mick is a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"Don't be stupid, Lewis, he looks up to you, always has, since you let him be a part of this," Jessica said.

"Maybe because I was the first one who didn't treat him with kid gloves."

"Don't you dare throw that at me! He was 15 when he came to live with us, and he hadn't known what a real family could be like. Despite your insane need to live on the edge and not get a normal job like everyone else, I tried to hold this family together. Leonard and Lisa were ten and seven, and it was tough for them, too, but we adjusted, and I would do it all over if I had to."

Sara smiled at Jessica's words; she loved how much the woman thought as Mick as her own child, and she hated to think just what would have happened if the Snarts hadn't taken him in. A door on the second floor slammed, and Sara heard footsteps on the stairs. She was just about to put her headphones in when Jessica walked into the room.

"Hey," Sara said, with a small smile.

"How much of that did you hear?" Jessica asked.

"Enough to know that you're pissed and Lewis isn't backing down," Sara admitted.

Sara watched as Jessica pulled a wine glass down from the cupboard, so she turned and grabbed the open white out of the fridge and handed it to the woman.

"Thank you," Jessica said, as she took the wine from Sara and poured a large glass. "Glad I'm not working tonight."

"Me too," Said said as she grabbed a coke from the fridge.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," Jessica said.

"It's fine. At this point I'm used to parents fighting," Sara said, and Jessica reached out and squeezed her hand softly.

"How is your dad doing?"

"He's okay. We've become pretty close since Mom left and Laurel moved out. I know he's glad that I can come here when he's working."

"Of course! You are always welcome here Sara, no matter what," Jessica said, pulling Sara into a hug.

Two weeks had passed since the night Sara heard the argument between Lewis and Jessica, and although she hadn't heard anything else about it, Sara noticed a shift in the feel of the household.

"I come bringing gifts," Sara called out, carrying a tray from Starbucks as she entered the Snart residence on a cold, Thursday afternoon.

"I like gifts," Lisa said, getting up from her spot on the couch and Sara handed her a drink. "Pumpkin spice latte?"

"Is there anything else this time of year?" Sara asked with a grin.

"Yes," Leonard said from behind her.

Sara rolled her eyes before turning to Leonard. "Boring regular black coffee," she said, handing him the drink.

"Lucky she loves you," Jessica said from the kitchen.

"She's lucky I love her," Leonard called back to his mom.

Sara shook her head and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek before heading through to the kitchen.

"A pumpkin spice latte, for my favorite," Sara said, with a grin, placing the drink on the counter.

"See, this is why you and Leonard can never break up," Jessica said, "and if it does happen, I might just keep you instead."

"Gee, thanks, mom," Leonard said, entering the kitchen.

Sara laughed as she sipped her latte and leaned into Leonard's side as he wrapped his arm around her.

"You know I'm kidding," Jessica said. "Kinda."

"I brought you coffee yesterday," Leonard said.

"Yesterday is not today, Leonard," Jessica replied, with a wink. "Sara wins today."

"She wins everyday," Leonard said.

"Aww, you do, too," Sara said standing on her toes and kissing him quickly before pulling back.

Sara sipped her coffee and sighed. It had been a long day, and she was glad to be in the company of friends.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Leonard asked.

"You could set the table," Jessica replied.

"Lisa! Mom wants you to set the table!" Leonard yelled.

Sara elbowed him in the stomach and placed her coffee down and then moved around the kitchen, pulling out plates and cutlery. She set the table and picked up her coffee again.

"And that is why Sara wins today," Jessica said, and Sara dissolved into fits of laughter.

Dinner, or as Leonard had dubbed it, "pick on Leonard meal," had been uneventful. The girls had decided to watch _The Notebook_ , something Leonard had fought against. He gave in while his mom and sister were doing the dishes, but only because Sara had suggested a reward for the next day, one that he was rather invested in.

Shouting in the street just after midnight caused Jessica to pull back the curtains and glance outside. Sara stood behind her and could make out Lewis, Mick, and some of the guys she knew were the crew he worked with. As for the other group, Sara had no idea who any of them were. When it started to rain, visibility, even with the street lights, became impossible.

"Stay here, don't move. I'm going to call the police," Jessica said before she walked off to the kitchen.

Leonard got up and headed for the door as Lisa started crying.

"Len, what are you doing?" Sara hissed, as she pulled Lisa into a hug.

"That's my dad and Mick out there. I can't just sit here."

Sara heard the front door open, and she hugged Lisa tighter. Through the now-open door, she could hear the fight a little better, but it did nothing to calm her down. Car tires screeched to a halt outside the house, and the fighting got louder, as if to outdo the rain. The first gunshot was like a bullet to her heart.

It froze her in place and took her back to the drive by shooting only months earlier.

It was the second gunshot, followed by a third, that caused her to get off the couch and head toward the door.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked as she walked back into the room.

"I… um… Len's out there," Sara said, tears forming in her eyes.

Another gunshot, and Sara heard Leonard's scream as if he were right next to her. She looked back at Jessica, and then turned and ran for the door. She ran down the stairs and onto the sidewalk with Jessica on her heels, and then she froze at the sight in front of her. Four or five bodies lay in the street, and she was sure that if it hadn't been raining, the road would have been stained with blood. Sara watched as a couple of guys piled into a car and drove off, shooting the gun into the air as they did.

Her hand went to her mouth in shock. How could this have happened? Sara brushed her wet hair out of her face and looked up and down the street, and she realized that she couldn't see Leonard anywhere. The rain had stopped, but as she made her way down the road, her hair and clothes clung to her and made it harder to move at a pace she would have liked. Police sirens rang out in the distance, but nothing pierced through the dark night more than the scream that Sara let out when she found Leonard.


	4. Chapter 4

**LAUREL**

Laurel walked away from her sister and Leonard and headed toward the drink table. Sara's graduation had been perfect, and Laurel couldn't have been prouder of her little sister. The sun was streaming down through the scattered clouds, and music filled the backyard. She pulled her hair over her left shoulder and slid her sunglasses over her eyes before pouring herself a glass of punch.

"Can I get one of those too?" a voice beside her asked.

Biting her lip, she turned her head and looked up at Mick. This was the first time that she had seen him since their encounter at the hospital. Laurel had been replaying that conversation over and over in her mind. She had come out guns blazing, and she hadn't let him talk. They were at a graduation party for her sister because of Mick. If he hadn't pushed Sara out of the way, Laurel would be mourning the loss of her sister, not congratulating her on her success.

"Sure," Laurel said, pouring another glass and handing it to Mick.

"Thanks," Mick said before turning to walk off.

"Mick, wait. I've been meaning to contact you, do you think we could talk?" Laurel asked.

Mick turned to look at her and nodded. Laurel let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head toward the house before leading the way inside and to the lounge.

"What did you want to talk about?" Mick asked as he sat down.

Laurel paused for a moment. Did she sit next to him or across from him? She sighed, sipped her drink, and then sat down next to him, with enough space to make her feel comfortable.

"I guess we actually have more to talk about than I originally thought," she said, "but first, I wanted to apologise for the last time I saw you. I was overly stressed when I got to the hospital and I lashed out. I didn't mean the things that I said."

"Sure you did," Mick replied.

"Maybe in that moment, you're right, I probably did, but in hindsight, I was scared about losing my sister. I said awful things, things that I shouldn't have. If I had paused long enough to hear you out, what I should have said was thank you. Thank you for saving Sara, because I have no idea what I would do without her."

Mick watched as Laurel spoke, and he sipped the drink she had poured for him.

"You don't need to thank me, Laurel. I know how much Sara means to you, and I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't done something to save her."

"But you got shot," Laurel said.

"Better me than her. Sara has you and Len, and me, well, I have myself. Pretty much always been that way."

Tears welled up in Laurel's eyes at his words. He had her, she had just been too stupid to say it out loud.

"That's not true," she whispered.

"Sure it is. Don't feel bad for me, Laurel. I don't need your pity," Mick said, standing up and making his way to the door.

"You have me," Laurel called to him, and watched him stop where he was. "I should have said it years ago, I should have never gone to prom with Tommy, I should have gone after you that day, but I was 18 and I cared more about what my friends thought than what I wanted."

Laurel watched as Mick turned to look at her, and she got off the couch, brushing a tear off her cheek as she did.

"And what is it that you want, Laurel?" Mick asked.

"You," she said, with a shrug. "It's always been you."

She had no time to even react as Mick moved back across the room and took her into his arms. Kissing him was exactly like she remembered it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as she felt him move them, pressing her against the closest wall.

Laurel was out of breath when Mick finally broke the kiss. She bit her lip and looked up at him with a smile.

"What took you so long?" Mick asked.

Laurel shook her head and laughed at his words. "I was young and stupid," she said with a shrug.

Mick leaned in and kissed her again, and Laurel couldn't help but smile into the kiss. This had been a long time coming, and if she were honest with herself, it should have happened a hell of a lot faster.

A squeal of joy broke the kiss, and Laurel looked past Mick to see Sara hitting Leonard on the arm.

"I see, I see," Leonard said.

"Think of the double dates," Sara said, and Laurel couldn't help but giggle at her sister's antics.

"Whoa, no one said anything about double dates," Mick commented, turning to face Leonard and Sara.

Laurel watched as Sara pouted, turning to look up at Leonard and then back to her and Mick.

"This like only just happened. Let Mick and I actually have a conversation about this before you go planning our lives," Laurel said.

"Fine!" Sara exclaimed before running over and hugging them. "But I'm still super excited and happy about this."

When Leonard had pulled Sara away from them and out the back door, Laurel looked back up at Mick and smiled.

"So, we should probably talk," she said.

Mick leaned down and kissed her again. It was softer than the first two, and Laurel all but sighed into it before pulling away.

"We should talk," Mick agreed.

Laurel kissed him on the cheek and then pulled him up the stairs to her room, locking it behind them.

"Kiss first, talk later," she said, pressed him against the back of her door and standing on her toes to kiss him again.

A month had passed since the graduation party, and while some had thought that Laurel and Mick's relationship had come from nowhere, all the people who mattered knew better and couldn't have been happier for them.

She hadn't told anyone, but she had been apartment hunting, and it became obvious after the first month that she and Mick only had forever in mind. This only caused Mick to suggest that they apartment hunt together.

The apartment they ended up getting was on the other side of town from the Snarts, with Quentin and Sara between them both. When Sara learned this, it was the only thing that seemed to calm her down.

Laurel was sure that having their mother move to a completely different state before Laurel herself moved had Sara completely a mess. Leonard seemed to be the only one who could calm her down when she heard the news.

She knew how she would have felt. So much in Sara's life was changing and all at once. As if leaving high school weren't a huge enough change, now her family was completely separated.

Sara had always been a free spirit, Laurel knew that, but what she hadn't known was how much Sara hated change. It seemed strange, but in a way, it was as if Sara was happy to be a free spirit because she always had a place to come home to where nothing changed, except now everything had.

Moving day had gone as smoothly as Laurel had hoped, and by the end of the day, she and Mick had rewarded those who helped them with pizza.

"You know I'm going to come and totally camp out on your sofa right?" Sara asked, mouth full of pizza and pulling apart the crust.

"You are welcome to do that if you learn better manners," Laurel said to her sister.

"You know you just moved in with Mick right?" Lisa said, and Sara pointed at the girl in agreement.

"They've got you there, Babe," Mick said, with his mouth full of pizza.

"That's it, I'm trading you all in for Leonard. I'll keep him and his manners," Laurel said, and Leonard smiled over at her while picking up the dirty plates and taking them to the sink. "See, he even does the dishes."

"He doesn't do them all that often at home, so don't get too excited," Jessica said.

"You're just saying that because you want to keep him for yourself," Mick commented.

"Well, Laurel is right, he is helpful," Jessica replied.

"Favorite child," Lisa mumbled under her breath, and Sara burst into laughter.

Laurel sighed as she closed the door behind Leonard and Sara. Jessica and Lisa had left earlier, but the others had stayed and helped unpack some of the boxes. Now that they were gone, she was happy to have the apartment and Mick to herself.

She found him in the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, and she smiled, leaning against the door frame to watch him for a moment.

"I think I could get used to this," she said, grinning at him.

"Me doing the dishes?" he asked.

"That too," she said, "but just coming home and knowing that you're gonna be here."

She walked over to him as he closed the dishwasher, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. Laurel felt Mick's hand run down her body to her hips, pulling her closer as he returned the kiss. He lifted her onto the counter and stood between her legs as he moved his mouth from her lips and down along her jaw.

Laurel leaned her head back as Mick's mouth travelled from her jaw, down her neck, and across the top of her breasts. He mumbled something about her shirt being annoying before she felt it ripped from her body.

"I liked that top," she said, with little conviction.

"I'll buy you a new one," Mick replied, pulling her closer.

She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him back into a heated kiss. Mick lifted her from the counter and moved through the apartment to their bedroom before placing her on the bed and hovering over her.

Laurel stared up at him and loved the look she saw in his eyes. She ran her hands down his back and then dragged his t-shirt up and over his head. She threw it to the floor before pulling him into a kiss as his hands found the button on her shorts.

The rest of their clothes soon joined his shirt on the floor, and Laurel let out a moan as Mick slid himself into her. They moved together, in slow rhythm at first, as if it were the first time. She wrapped a leg around his waist, pulled him down on top of her, and thrust herself upwards, her nipples brushing against his chest. Mick let out a groan and moved faster, as he pressed his lips to hers in a heated kiss.

Since they had started dating again, they'd had sex many times, but this seemed different. Laurel felt like them, living together, this was the start of forever.

He felt her tighten and grow wetter around his cock, and he knew she was close. Laurel scraped her nails across the back of his neck with one hand while the other clutched at the bed sheets. She broke the kiss and all but screamed his name as she fell apart beneath him. Mick followed a moment later, emptying himself inside her with a final thrust.

Laurel let out a soft moan as he dropped down against her and kissed up her neck before pressing his lips to her.

"I could get used to this," Mick mumbled against her lips before pulling out and laying on his back beside her.

Laurel let out a small laugh at the memory of her saying she could get used to him doing the dishes. She turned and rested her head on his shoulder and drew patterns on his chest.

"You win," she said. "I prefer this over dishes."

"You are going down, Mick," Sara said as she picked up the controller for the Xbox.

"Unlikely, Blondie," Mick replied, dropping into the bean bag next to his girlfriend's sister.

Laurel looked across the room at Leonard and was sure her face wore the same expression as his. She rolled her eyes at him, and he shook his head before he picked up the plates that they had used for dinner.

In the month since the move, Leonard and Sara had been over a lot. It helped that it was summer and they had more than enough free time of their hands. Mick and Sara had decided on a summer challenge of some game on the Xbox, one Laurel didn't understand and Leonard didn't care about. The two instead ended up spending the time playing games of Scrabble or reading.

"Laurel, can I get a coke?" Sara asked, not even looking up from the game.

"Yeah, Babe, I could totally go for another beer," Mick added.

Laurel placed her book on the couch beside her and headed for the kitchen. She found Leonard in there, filling the sink to do the dishes, and she smiled at him.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Laurel said.

"I know, but I figured it would save you doing them later," Leonard replied.

"Well, thank you," she said, pulling drink out of the fridge. "I'll just take Mick and Sara these and I'll come back and help you."

The more time she spent with Leonard, the more perfect she knew he was for Sara. It was the same way Mick was perfect for her. Laurel hadn't realised how alike she and Leonard were in character, and it made so much more sense to her when she also noticed how alike Sara and Mick were.

"Who's winning?" Leonard asked when Laurel walked back into the kitchen.

"Sara, but not by a lot," she answered, picking up a towel to dry the already washed dishes.

"If she wins, it will be her third and Mick's only won one, we won't hear the end of it if she wins three in a row."

Laurel laughed as she put the plates away, then turned back to Leonard. "She really loves you, you know that, right?"

"I do, and I really love her too, Laurel," Leonard said honestly.

"I can see that. I guess I wanted to say that what you have is special, a once in a lifetime thing, and I don't want you to ever end up like Mick and I were."

Leonard drained the sink and wiped his hands on a towel before looking at Laurel.

"Sara and I aren't you and Mick. We won't ever be like that. I promise you, Laurel, what Sara and I have is a forever thing. I know we are young, but I believe it, and nothing short of me dying will stop me from being with her."

"I just wanted to make sure," Laurel said, putting the last of the dishes away.

"Laurel, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to look after Sara. You know, in case anything happens to me."

"What? Nothing is going to happen to you, Leonard," Laurel said.

"I just think, with my dad's history and the fact that your dad locks people up for a living. I would have 100% jumped in front of that bullet for Sara if Mick hadn't, and I just need to know that if something happens to me, you'll help her through, and that when the time comes, you'll help her move on."

Laurel smiled sadly at Leonard before pulling him into a hug. "Thank you for loving my sister," she said before pulling back.

"She makes it easy," Leonard replied as a shout came from the other room.

Laurel made her way back to the lounge with Leonard following behind her.

"You are such a cheat, Mick," Sara cried.

"Are you picking on my sister, Mick?" Laurel asked with a smile.

"Would I do that?"

"Yes!" Sara exclaimed. "Back me up here, Len."

"I'm staying out of this one," he said, sitting at the table with Laurel, who had pulled out the Scrabble board.

"Some boyfriend you are," Sara muttered under her breath as Mick started the next game.

"Come on, Sare, I'll let you beat me this time."

"I don't need your pity, Michael."

"First names, wow, someone's mad," Mick teased.

"Honestly, some days I have no idea how we put up with them," Laurel said to Leonard.

"I believe we call it love," he said, as he put all his tiles on the board in his first go.

"Well, I quit," Laurel said with a laugh of disbelief.

Laurel walked through the door exhausted on Friday afternoon. She had been working late hours at the law firm, and she felt like she hadn't seen Mick or her sister in weeks.

"Hello, anyone here?" she called into the seemingly empty apartment.

She was met with silence. Laurel made her way into the kitchen and sighed as she dropped her purse into the table, then kicked off her heels.

The sound of the front door caused her to stick her head around the corner and smile as she saw her sister walk in.

"Hey sis," Laurel said as Sara made her way toward her. "What brings you here?"

"Hey yourself, didn't know if you would be here yet, you've been working so much," Sara commented. "I was just on the way home from school. Figured I'd drop in and get in some quality sister time, since Mick and Len are helping Jess paint the living room, and Dad is working."

Laurel pulled a couple of waters out of the fridge and tossed one to Sara before jumping up to sit on the counter. Sara slid to the floor across from her, opened the bottle, and took a sip.

"So how was school?" Laurel asked, sipping her water.

Sara shrugged. "Same as yesterday: no one said college would be this boring, and I hate Fridays because I don't even have Len there to annoy me."

Laurel laughed at her sister. "Just imagine doing a double degree."

"That's never gonna happen."

"I thought you had Caitlin with you on Fridays?" Laurel asked.

"She was out sick today, said she needed to spend the day in bed," Sara explained. "Pretty sure she actually just spent the day with Ronnie."

"Doesn't mean she didn't spend it in bed," Laurel said, with a smirk.

"Ugh, thanks for that visual I didn't need!" Sara exclaimed.

"That's what sisters are for," Laurel said with a grin.

Laurel's phone beeped, and she reached over to grab it and smiled.

"Mick?" Sara asked.

"Nope, Alex. Did Kara tell you she was back in town this weekend?"

"What? No!"

"She is. Alex wants to know if we we want to meet them for mexican, margaritas, and males. Well, gossiping about males,"

"Hell yes!"

Laurel watched as her sister stood up and tossed the water into her bag, and then she jumped off the counter.

"I'll just go change, and then we can head to your place before we go there, and you can get changed, too," Laurel said.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Sara asked, looking down at her t-shirt and jeans.

"It's girls night, Sara,"

"Fine, I'll change," Sara said, throwing her hand up.

"It's not like you weren't going to. We all know Kara's rules of dress for girls' nights."

"I know, skirts or nice jeans, no ripped clothes. Blah, blah, blah. Sometimes I wonder why I'm friends with her."

"You love her, and she is your best friend," Laurel said. "Well, other than Len, of course."

"Other than Len, yes, she is."

They were at least three margaritas into girls' night when Mick called, and Laurel left the table to answer.

"Hey, Babe, just about to head home. Are you still at the office?"

"No, girls' night actually," she told him. "Kara is home for the weekend, and we're out at that mexican place."

"So I shouldn't have more than a couple of beers because I'm going to need to come get you later?"

"Best boyfriend ever! I left my car at Dad's, so we're going to have to get that in the morning, , we probably need to drop Sara off at home tonight."

"No problem. Or we can just bring her back here and take her home in the morning. I'll hang out here for a bit, and then Len and I can come get you both," Mick said.

"Best boyfriend ever!"

"You said that already," Mick said with a chuckle.

"Well, I mean it!" Laurel exclaimed into the phone with a wide grin.

"Text me when you want to leave, and we'll come get you."

"Okay, will do. Oh, and Michael, I love you," Laurel said.

"I love you too, Laurel."

"You're what?" Laurel asked in disbelief three weeks later.

"It's the last time. This is the last one," Mick said.

"I thought you guys were done? You said you were done."

"I know that I said that, and we haven't done anything since I said that, but I promise you, this truly is the last one. Lewis needs me."

"I don't think he does. I think you feel like you owe him for taking you in and for making you feel like you belonged. I'm here to tell you that you belong with me, you always have, ever since that first day we became lab partners."

"I do owe him for those things. It was because of him and Jess that we even met. Laurel, I know I belong with you, just like I know you belong with me. He's my family, him and Jess; they took me in, and if I ever want us to have a family one day, I need to know that I did right by the ones that called me family when they didn't have to," Mick said.

Laurel sighed as Mick reached out and grabbed her hand. A tear slid down her cheek, and she brushed it away with her free hand.

"I just don't want to lose you," she said.

"You'll never lose me, Laurel. I love you so much, but I need to do this, this one last job. Then we can get back to us and maybe even talk about starting that family."

Laurel nodded, leaned in and kissed Mick softly before pulling back. She looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, and if it doesn't feel right, you'll tell Lewis to call it off."

"I promise, I'm coming back to you, Laurel. Everything is going to be okay."

When the phone rang in the early hours of the morning, Laurel knew that something was wrong. Police, guns, a shooting, Mick, Len, blood everywhere. She could hardly understand her sister as Sara cried on the phone, but she got enough to know that she needed to be at the hospital.

Laurel ran through the emergency room doors and looked around. It was chaos, but as she turned toward the waiting room, she saw Sara running to her. She enveloped her sister in a hug as Sara started to cry. Laurel needed to know what happened, she needed answers, but as she wondered when Sara would finally be calm enough to speak, she saw Mick walk through the doors, and relief settled over her.

She watched him make his way over to her, and he kissed her forehead as she held her sister.

"Len's in surgery," Mick said, "gunshot wound.

Laurel hugged Sara tighter and reached out for Mick's hand.

"He'll be okay, he'll get through this, you'll see," she offered as some kind of support.

She didn't know for sure that Leonard would make it, but she had to believe after everything, he wasn't going to die. Sara didn't deserve that. She guided them over to the waiting area, and they sat down. Now all they could do was wait.


	5. Chapter 5

**SARA**

It was raining. Of course, it was raining. It seemed that whenever, there was a funeral in the city, the skies clouded over and a storm rolled in. Sara looked outside the window and sighed. Water droplets ran down the window, and Sara watched one until it hit the ledge. It was as if the heavens were crying, crying for the loss of life. A sea of umbrellas covered the street below. The city was moving on from the tragic events of the last week. It wasn't as if it never happened, but, she supposed that life for those not involved, went back to normal pretty quickly, desperate to forget the scenes that she, never would.

A lone tear rolled down her cheek, and she brushed it away, willing herself not to start crying. The events of the week before kept coming to the forefront of her mind and she would dissolve into tears all over again. She needed to be strong, strong enough to cope with the loss of someone who meant so much. As much as she tried to stop it, she was suddenly transported back to the hospital, and the moment that it all fell apart.

Sara couldn't stop the tears that fell but as Leonard stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist she wiped at her cheeks and calmed herself down before she leaned back against him. He didn't need her falling apart,not when he'd lost so much. Turning in Leonard's arms she brought him into a hug. He kissed the top of her head and they stood there quietly. He had lost his best friend, his brother. Sara couldn't imagine what he was going through, but she knew all too well that it could have been them. They could have been the ones torn apart, and that was something she would have never coped with.

"You need to go see your sister," he whispered into her hair.

Sara nodded against his chest, before pulling back from the hug. She stood on her toes and kissed him softly on the cheek.

"I'll see you there," she said, before leaving the house.

The drive across town was harder than she thought it would be. Laurel had kept so many secrets from her over the years, but none bigger than her relationship with Mick. If Laurel hadn't have been so worried about appearance, or class, or job title, she could have been happy. She could have had more time with him. Sara hated herself for her own thoughts, but she knew she was right. What was the use of almosts and maybes? Regrets were not something Sara wanted to have and that's why she had pushed for her relationship with Leonard. She hated the fact that regrets were all Laurel was going to have now.

Pulling into the drive Sara killed the engine and headed inside. The curtains were still all closed, and the dishes didn't look like they had been done in days. Washing piled up, untouched, like unread books in a corner gathering dust; and it was in that moment that Sara's heart broke for her sister.

She headed upstairs and pushed open the door to her sister's room. The older of the Lance sisters, was curled up in the middle of her queen sized bed clinging to a jacket, one Sara knew to be Mick's.

"Laurel, Hun, you need to get ready," Sara said sadly.

"I can't go," Laurel replied through her tears.

Sara removed her heels, climbed onto the bed, and hugged her sister from behind. She noticed the shiny diamond ring on Laurel's finger and had to hold back her own tears, as memories flooded back to her.

" _Would you stop fussing?"_

 _Sara turned around from rearranging the furniture in the hospital room to roll her eyes at her boyfriend. He had woken up around twenty minutes earlier and since then Sara hadn't gone near him at all._

" _I'm just trying to make sure when Lisa and your mom get back they have somewhere to sit," Sara said, with a shrug._

" _That doesn't matter."_

" _Yes it does, I have to do this."_

" _No you don't Sare," Leonard said._

" _You could have died," Sara said, finally stopping what she was doing, and staring at him from across the room. "You ran out into the street, and you got shot, and I could have lost you."_

" _Come over here," Leonard said holding_ _his hand out to her._

 _Sara moved across the room and took his hand. She climbed up onto the bed beside him. Leonard wrapped his arm around her and Sara leaned against his side, careful not to hurt him._

" _I hate the thought of ever losing you," she whispered._

" _You'll never lose me Sara. Me and you, we're forever," Leonard said, kissing her hair._

" _Speaking of forever," Laurel said, as she and Mick walked into the room, "We're getting married!"_

" _What?" Sara asked, unsure if she'd heard her sister correctly._

" _We're getting married," Mick said._

" _When?" Leonard asked._

" _Now!" Laurel exclaimed, excitedly._

 _Sara looked at Leonard and then back at her sister and Mick. This was not at all what she has expected to hear._

" _It's like, three in the morning," Sara said, looking at her watch to double check the time._

" _How is this even going to be possible?" Leonard asked._

" _Yeah, because in case you haven't noticed, Len just got out of surgery and is in a hospital bed!" Sara exclaimed._

" _We are going to do it here, in this room," Mick said, as if it wasn't the stupidest thing Sara had ever heard._

" _Here?" Sara asked. "But Dad isn't here and Mom doesn't even live in the state Laurel."_

" _I called Dad, he is on his way, and he woke up a judge so we could get a marriage licence."_

" _I bet the judge was impressed with that," Sara said sarcastically, "still doesn't explain what you are going to do about Mom."_

" _She left us Sara, you more than anyone should know that it doesn't matter if she is here or not."_

" _What about dress, you are in jeans and an old white t-shirt and Mick and I both have blood stained clothes," Sara said._

" _I don't care, and that blood, Len's blood, only makes me want to do this more. This whole night has made me realize that life is short and I don't want to live another minute of it not being married to Mick."_

 _Sara shook her head and got off the bed and made her way over to her sister and Mick. She turned back to look at Leonard who gave her a smile, before she turned back to her sister and nodded at Laurel and Mick._

" _I guess my sister is getting married tonight then," she said, pulling Laurel into a tight hug for a moment before pulling back. "Wait, what about rings?"_

" _I actually have one at home," Mick admitted, "I've been planning on proposing but I didn't think it would be tonight."_

" _And when we get home I'll put the ring on but we don't need rings for the service," Laurel said._

" _Yes, yes you do," Sara said, "but I have one you can use."_

" _You have a ring?" Leonard asked._

 _Making her way over to her bag, Sara pulled out a ring pop, and Leonard burst out laughing. She held it out to Laurel and Mick and smiled brightly at them._

" _I got that earlier at the gift store downstairs, but I'm gonna want it back. Oh! That can be your something borrowed, and your jeans are blue, we just need something old and something new," Sara said, as Jessica and Lisa walked into the room followed by Quentin._

" _You guys ready to get married?" Quentin asked, as Sara walked over and wrapped her arms around her father's waist._

" _They can't get married until I find Laurel something old and something new," Sara said, with a frown._

" _I have your something old covered," Quentin said, pulling out a ring from his pocket. "It was my father's, I figured you wouldn't have one so I wanted Mick to have it."_

" _Daddy, it's perfect," Laurel said, leaving Mick's side to take the ring off her father._

" _So all we need it something new?" Lisa asked._

" _Yep!" Sara exclaimed._

" _Oh, I have something," Jessica said, before digging through her purse. She pulled out a pair of earrings and handed the to Laurel. "I got these yesterday, I forgot to take them out of my bag."_

" _I can't take those Jess," Laurel said._

" _You are getting marrying in jeans and a t-shirt, giving you your something new is the least I can do," Jessica said._

" _Thank you," Laurel said, accepting the earrings from the older woman._

" _And I just got ordained online to marry you," Quentin said, holding up his phone._

" _I have my best man," Mick said and he made his way over to where Leonard was moving to get out of bed._

" _Your_ _best man is wearing sweatpants and has an IV sticking out of his hand," Leonard said, as Mick helped him to stand._

" _Better than you not being here," Mick replied._

 _Sara bit her lip at the thought, closing her eyes for a moment. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and opened her eyes to see Laurel standing next to her._

" _Come help me do my hair?" Laurel asked._

 _Sara nodded and pulled Laurel off to the bathroom, grabbing her bag as they went._

 _After digging through her bag for hair pins, Sara curled Laurel's hair into a half up, half down do, doing the best she could with what they had._

" _I can't believe you're getting married, and in a hospital," Sara said._

" _It seems a little crazy, but why wait? Mick and I both want this and everyone we need is here," Laurel said._

" _It's just crazy, I mean a cool story to tell your kids one day but crazy," Sara said._

 _Sara finished Laurel's hair and pinned her own up into more than just a ponytail, before they headed out into the hall. Lisa met them just outside Leonard's room carrying a bunch of flowers and handed them to Laurel._

" _I figured, you know-" Lisa started._

" _They're perfect," Laurel said, cutting Lisa off and pulling the girl into a hug._

 _The three girls made their way back into the room and Sara smiled as she saw Leonard standing with her Dad and Mick._

" _Let's get you married," Sara said, as they walked over to where the others were standing._

Her sister's silent sobs brought Sara back to reality, the wedding itself had been completely unconventional and yet perfect at the same time. Although Laurel and Mick had only been married for two hours when everything fell apart. Sara rubbed Laurel's back as if to comfort her, knowing little would, if anything.

"You have to go Laurel, you'll regret it if you don't."

"I can't do it, I can't go."

"Why can't you?" Sara whispered.

"If I go, it means he's really gone," Laurel cried.

Sara hugged her tighter, unsure of what to say. Mick was gone, nothing was going to change that. She wished she could change it, for Laurel, for Leonard, for Lisa, but she knew that she couldn't. She held her sister until she felt Laurel give a nod and then Sara moved from the bed.

"I'm going to head downstairs, and let you get ready. We need to do this Laurel, we need to say goodbye, but I'll be with you the whole time."

She turned and headed out of the room, letting her sister get ready in peace.

Back downstairs, Sara unloaded and then loaded the dishwasher and turned it on. Then she opened up the curtains and started folding the laundry. She knew why it hadn't been done. There is no way she would be functional if she had of lost Leonard, if the truth was told her apartment would probably look worse.

She busied herself getting things done as she waited for her sister. Once the washing was all folded and mostly put away, Sara sat on the couch and pulled out her phone. She text Leonard and let him know that they were running slightly late.

Laurel appeared in the lounge, dressed in black, and with unshed tears in her eyes. Sara gave her a sad smile and nodded her head towards the door. The two moved out to the car in silence, and as Sara drove to the cemetery, the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the car engine and the rain on the roof.

The rain used to be calming to Sara. The sound of rain on an old tin roof, kids jumping in puddles, something about it had always brought her peace and happiness. Now, all it was, was cold, and wet, and a reminder that nothing is forever.

The gravel crunched under the tires of Sara's car as she turned through the iron gates of the cemetery, and she wondered if her sister would ever get over this. How does one get over losing the love of their life?

Sara parked the car behind the line of other vehicles, and undid her seatbelt before turning slightly to look at her sister. She reached across the console and took Laurel's hand in hers squeezing it gently. They needed to get out, people were waiting, but she knew she couldn't rush this. Finally Laurel squeezed her hand back and Sara knew that she was ready.

The door opened, giving her a scare, before she saw Leonard standing outside with an umbrella. Sara stepped out of the car and twined her fingers with his as she saw Alex holding out an umbrella for Laurel. Her sister and Alex moved slowly around the car, and upon reaching them Laurel linked her arm through Sara's.

They made their way up the grass embankment to the graveside, and Leonard nodded at the man in charge to start the service. The rain continued to come down and the wind had picked up, making standing on the hillside a very cold, wet and even more miserable time than it needed to be.

Sara listened to the man talk about Mick, about his life, his family, his friends, and about his love for Laurel. She wished she had of known about them earlier, maybe she could have convinced Laurel to stop being so stubborn. Maybe they wouldn't even be standing here today. Leonard wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him, and although he wasn't crying, Sara knew that he was bottling it all up.

In all the time she had known him, he had never been good with public displays of emotion. If it was just them together, then that seemed to be okay. In front of a crowd like this though, she knew there would be no tears from him.

She squeezed his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. Sara looked across the grave at Jessica and Lisa, the latter crying hard against her mother's shoulder. She looked around at the other attendees and noticed Lewis was missing. After the events at the hospital, Lewis, out of guilt had turned himself into the police, something that had shocked everyone.

Sara had spoken to Jessica after it happened and had been surprised to learn that they hadn't even gone through with the job in the end. The story, according to Lewis was, when they arrived at the location, Mick had a bad feeling about the whole thing and told Lewis to call it off. Mick had said even if they weren't calling it off, he was leaving. The gang that had turned up outside the house thought they had already done the job and were there to steal the gem from them.

Leonard, Sara knew, felt guilty too. It was a survivor's guilt. He had made it through surgery, then Mick had collapsed hours later due to internal injuries, and by the time that happened, there was nothing anyone could do. She had to give Leonard a daily reminder that none of it was his fault. When he wasn't blaming himself, Leonard was blaming Lewis, and there was nothing Sara could do to change his mind on that.

The service wrapped up and Sara and Leonard made their way over to Jessica and Lisa. Sara pulled the younger girl into a hug and let her own tears rolled down her cheeks, as she watched her boyfriend hug his mother.

"Mick would have hated today," Lisa mumbled, "He hated the cold."

Sara let out a small laugh and wiped at her eyes. Lisa was right, Mick would have hated the weather.

"The only thing that's good about rain is that you can sit inside next to a fire, that's what he used to say," Jessica said, with a shrug.

"We'll start one when we get home, in honor of him," Leonard said.

"In the fireplace right?" Sara asked.

Leonard pulled her to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Yes, in the fireplace," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Is she going to be alright?" Jessica asked, nodding her head at where Laurel was standing with Alex.

"I hope so, I think it's just going to take time," Sara replied.

-SIX MONTHS LATER-

"I can't do this again Len, I can't keep having the same argument with you," Sara said, frustrated.

"Well stop bringing it up, I don't want to talk about him," Leonard replied.

"So what, you're just going to ignore him for the next four and a half years?"

"Longer! I don't need to see him, or speak to him, and I definitely don't need you telling me what to do when it comes to him," Leonard all but yelled.

Sara took a step back and shook her head. It was by far the worst fight that they had ever had. She was trying to get Leonard to visit Lewis but her boyfriend wanted nothing to do with his father.

"Your mom and Lisa still see him, and it's a good thing. He wasn't always a good guy but he did the right thing and he is paying for his mistakes...and I'm not telling you what to do, it was a suggestion," Sara yelled back.

"Well I don't need your suggestions, in fact I don't need you!" Leonard exclaimed.

His words hit her like a brick. "You don't mean that."

"I do. Get out."

"Len, I'm sorry, I-"

"Get Out Sara, we're done," Leonard said, before heading up to his room and slamming the door.

Tears streamed down Sara's face. This couldn't be happening. She grabbed her bag, headed out the door and got into her car. She drove to the first place that came to mind.

She let herself into the apartment and found her sister watching TV. Sara collapsed onto the couch next to Laurel and was pulled into a hug.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Len just broke up with me," Sara cried.

The room was silent other than the sound of Sara crying, and she knew that Laurel had no idea how to respond.

"You should stay here tonight," Laurel said, rubbing Sara's back as the younger girl cried.

Sara just nodded against Laurel's shoulder. She couldn't believe that this had happened. She really thought she and Leonard were forever, and now it seemed that all the Lance sisters were destined for was heartbreak and what ifs.

Once Sara had calmed down, she watched as Laurel headed to the kitchen, then returned with two glasses of water. Sara accepted a glass from her sister and sipped it slowly, as Laurel sat back down, rubbing a hand over her pregnant stomach.

Sara knew that for Laurel, finding out she was pregnant after Mick died was probably one of the hardest things her sister had been through other than his death. Sara had spent many nights listening to her sister cry herself to sleep, but slowly Laurel's tune had changed and Sara noticed that she started to see the pregnancy as a good thing, it was as if she she had a piece of Mick with her.

"You know you are still going to have to see each other right?" Laurel asked.

"What? No we won't," Sara said.

"You have some of the same classes at college and when the baby comes you'll both be around."

"I'm not sharing my niece or nephew with him!"

"You are going to have to, Len is the closest person this child is going to have to their father."

"Len isn't even related to the baby! Him and Mick weren't brothers, he shouldn't get a say, he isn't family Laurel," Sara said.

"You know that's not true, Sare. Mick and Leonard may not have been blood related but they were brothers, and saying Len shouldn't have a say is like saying Jess and Lisa shouldn't and I know you would never do that to them."

"Well they deserve to share my Jelly Bean niece or nephew! They still have hearts. They don't ignore Lewis' faults, but they know that forgiveness and redemption is an important part of life. You forgive people, not because they need it, but because you do, because it helps you be able to move on."

"Maybe that's something you should remember, too," Laurel said, "I'm heading to bed. I know the break-up is still really raw, it just happened, but maybe think about what you just said, and whether you're going to chose to remain in this dark bitter place or whether you are going to let go and find forgiveness."

Sara watched as Laurel got off the couch and headed to her room, closing the door behind her. She knew her sister was right, but she felt as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces. How could she live without Leonard? How could he just end them so quickly? And over his father? Leonard was the only one who hadn't gone and seen Lewis. Even Sara and Laurel had both gone at one point. Leonard was stubborn, and Sara knew this, but she never thought that their relationship would end, let alone end like this.

The baby was a boy. Michael Quentin Rory, was born two days past his due date to a very tired but thankful Laurel. Sara had been in the room for the birth and had cried tears of joy as she watched her sister holding her son for the first time.

Sara's heart had ached for Laurel, and for Mick, the man that stole her sister's heart and would have been an amazing father. She hated that he had to miss it all, he hadn't deserved to die and Sara would forever feel as if a part of their family was missing.

Michael's first Christmas came around faster than expected, although if you asked Sara, the years were moving faster and faster. They were all currently sitting around at Laurel's opening presents, and Sara smiled as Lisa handed Laurel a gift, before sitting down beside them. Laurel opened the present and tears filled her eyes before Sara watched her turn and hug Lisa tightly, telling the girl that it was perfect.

Sara looked at the gift and saw it was a framed photo of them all from Mick and Laurel's hospital wedding. She held back her own tears, before getting off the couch and heading for the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her Sara splashed water on her face and willed herself not to cry, it was Christmas, she didn't need to be crying.

After calming herself down, she unlocked the door and opened it but before she could leave, Leonard pushed his way into the room and locked the door behind him, before turning to face her.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked, confused.

She and Leonard had seen each other multiple times since the break up but other than a civil hello they didn't really speak to each other at all.

"I can't do this anymore, Sara," Leonard said.

"Can't do what? Because you're the one who just locked us in the bathroom together."

"I never should have broken up with you, it was a mistake and I've regretted it every day since you walked out."

"What?"

"I love you, I've always loved you and I hate us not being together," Leonard said.

"I hated it, too, but the more time we spent apart, the more time I had to realize that you and I were probably never meant to be. Look at Mick and Laurel, they didn't get their happy end and we probably wouldn't have either, I mean look at us. I loved every single second that I spent with you Len, but life isn't a fairy tale and happy endings don't exist."

"You don't mean that Sara," Leonard said.

"No, I really do. This isn't going to be one of those Christmas miracles, this isn't a Hallmark movie that gets all tied up in a pretty bow at the end. Do I still love you? Yes, but this time, love just isn't enough," Sara said before moving past him, unlocking the door and leaving.


	6. Chapter 6

**LAUREL - Four Years Later**

Summer in Central City was hot, and sticky, and they were lucky if the temperature slipped down past 75 overnight. Laurel sat next to Sara on the back deck of Jessica's new place and looked out at Leonard playing with her son in the pool. So much had changed in the past four years. Laurel had found out she was pregnant only a couple of weeks after losing Mick, and even though every day of her pregnancy was a reminder that she had lost the love of her life it was also a reminder that he would never truly be gone.

"He loves you," Laurel said, turning her head to look at her sister.

"I know, I love him too," Sara said, smiling, as she turned her head to look at Laurel.

Laurel watched as Sara's smile faded from her face. She reached out and rested her hand on her sister's arm.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Do you regret it? Loving Mick I mean," Sara asked.

"No. I think I would have loved him regardless. We were drawn to each other and I was stupid for letting him go when I did, we didn't get enough time together. That's what I regret," Laurel said. She moved her hand to hold Sara's sitting up slightly. "Don't ever let Len go, not again, you have to promise me Sara."

Sara squeezed Laurel's hand and smiled at her. "I promise," she said, "and for what it's worth, Mick really loved you, too. He was ready to give everything up for you. Lewis had no right to pull him back in for one last job."

Laurel sighed and squeezed Sara's hand in return. "I know and I'll do whatever it takes to keep our son from that life; Mick wouldn't have wanted that for his son. Michael is going to know exactly who his father was. I want him to know everything about Mick and that he would have never left him if he had a choice."

"Mickey will know that, none of us will let Mick's memory die," Sara said.

"I'm just glad he has his aunt and uncle back together," Laurel said, with a smile.

"Well that one he has his mom to thank for," Sara commented.

Laurel smiled at her sister, then picked up her drink and sipped it as she turned back to watch her son. Leonard was so great with him, and Laurel couldn't help but laugh to herself over the memory of the day Sara and Leonard got back together. It hadn't been the smoothest of days, but somehow it all worked out.

"What's making you laugh?" Lisa asked, as she and Jessica walked out onto the deck and sat down with them.

"I was just thinking about the day Sara and Len got back together," Laurel said.

"I love that you can laugh about it now," Jessica said. "It was a stressful day at the time though, I thought Sara was going to have a break down."

"I pretty much did," Sara said, with a sigh.

"Tell me the story again," Lisa said.

Laurel watched as Sara rolled her eyes, and Laurel let out a laugh. "You know you love to tell the story," she said to her sister.

"Fine. Michael was two and a half, and I had-"

"Given up on love," Lisa said, interrupting Sara.

"I thought you wanted me to tell the story," Sara said.

"Sorry, go," Lisa said, with a giggle.

 _Laurel had a huge conference that she needed to attend so Sara had agreed to babysit Michael._

" _He has a bit of a cold, but it's nothing major. He will probably sleep most of the day or you can watch a movie with him," Laurel said._

" _It will be a quiet day, that's good for me anyway because I have some work to get done, and I can do it while he sleeps," Sara said._

" _I'll try not to be too late, just depends on the day."_

" _Laurel, don't even worry about it. I have everything under control," Sara said, as she took Michael from her sister and ushered Laurel out the door._

 _Five hours later Sara did not have everything under control. Michael wouldn't stop crying, he was coughing and his temperature was at 102. Sara had tried everything the internet suggested, to get his temperature to go down but nothing worked._

" _It's okay buddy, you'll be okay," she said as she bounced him in her arms, tears coming to her eyes._

 _She felt helpless as she picked up her bag and headed out to the car. Strapping Michael into his carseat she got in the front and drove toward the hospital._

 _Michael was still crying as she pulled into the parking lot and parked as close as she could to the doors._

" _It's okay Mickey, we are going to see Grandma, she and the doctors are going to make you all better," Sara said as she headed inside._

 _It wasn't busy, and she was called over straight away by a nurse. Sara tired to explain the situation to the woman and let out a sigh of relief as she saw Jessica walk into the room._

" _Jess," Sara called, as more tears leaked from her eyes._

 _Jessica came over and pulled Sara and a crying Michael into a hug, before stepping back._

" _I'm taking them to room seven, Patty, I'll have Sara come back and fill in the paperwork once things have calmed down," Jessica told the woman at the desk as she led Sara through the doors and into the room._

 _Sara placed Michael on the bed and held his tiny hand in hers._

" _I just didn't know what to do, and I couldn't get hold of Laurel," Sara told Jessica._

 _Jessica wet a cloth and wiped Michael's face down, shaking her head sadly._

" _Sara, you did the right thing coming here, we will contact Laurel and everything is going to be okay. I'm going to go get the doctor, I'll be right back."_

 _Sara took the cloth and copied what Jessica had been doing for a moment as she pulled out her phone to try Laurel again._

 _After what seemed to be hours Laurel finally ran into the room and Michael reached for his mother, more tears coming to his eyes. Sara left the room quietly, allowing Laurel to speak with Jessica and the doctor alone. Once outside, Sara leaned against the wall and sighed as tears filled her eyes. She wiped at her eyes, frustrated. A voice called out to her and Sara turned her head to look down the hall._

" _Len," she whispered as he reached her._

 _Leonard pulled her into a hug and Sara wrapped her arms around his waist and fell apart in his arms. She could feel him kiss the top of her head as he rubbed her back and suddenly Sara felt like this was exactly where she was always meant to be._

" _It's okay Sare, everything is going to be okay," Leonard said, holding her close._

" _How did you... your mom," Sara said pulling back to look up at him, her arms still around his waist._

" _She thought you might need a friend."_

" _We've never really been friends though, have we?" Sara asked._

" _In my opinion, we were always destined to be something more," Leonard replied._

 _Sara thought about his words and sighed, almost content, being back in his arms again. Everything she had been saying for the last three years had been wrong. Love did exist, it existed between her and Leonard and neither time or distance was going to change that._

"And you realized that you never stopped loving him," Lisa said, smiling brightly before sipping her drink.

"I hadn't finished but you are right, I never stopped loving him," Sara said, once more rolling her eyes.

"I know I speak for all of us when I say, we are glad you guys are back together," Jessica said.

"I agree. I honestly don't know if I could have dealt with seeing either of you with someone else," Laurel piped up. "And while I think that was the day that made it official, I knew it wouldn't take long for you to get back together after I had you both over at my house that day, I think it was about a month before."

"Was that when you yelled at them?" Lisa asked.

"I wouldn't say yelled," Laurel replied.

"Oh, and what would you call it?" Leonard asked, walking up from the pool with Michael.

"Firmly enforcing what we all knew," Laurel said, with a grin as she got up and wrapped a towel around Michael, hugging him to her.

"Mooom," the boy whined, pushing as Laurel slightly.

Laurel laughed and pulled back. Michael had got to four and a half and decided that he was an independent child, who didn't need hugs from his mother, or at least not when they were around other people.

"Dude, hugs from your mom are the best," Leonard said as he made his way over to Jessica and hugged her tightly.

The older woman all but shrieked as Leonard hugged her and she pushed at him, telling him to go away.

"You're all wet," Jessica said, as Leonard moved away with an evil grin.

Michael dropped his towel and ran back to the pool and jumped in quickly before getting out and running back to Laurel and throwing himself at her, soaking the t-shirt and shorts she was wearing. She squealed but returned the hug tightly before mouthing a _thank you_ to Leonard over her son's head.

Laurel picked up the towel, sat down on the deck chair, and attempted to dry Michael and herself off. She was drying Michael's hair, but watching her sister carefully. Sara was staring at Leonard like he was her whole world and Laurel let out a sad sigh, knowing that she had looked at Mick the same way all those years ago.

"So pizza for dinner?" Lisa asked, breaking Laurel from her thoughts as Michael jumped up and down excitedly, declaring that pizza was the best thing ever.

Late afternoon turned into evening. Quentin had turned up after a long day helping out with a court case. He came with the pizza for dinner and the group sat down and chatted about their summer plans and work.

After dinner, Lisa and her new boyfriend, Ray, had been roped into a game of poker with Michael, while Jessica and Quentin did the dishes.

"Do you think they know that they are about to lose all their money?" Leonard asked, as he sat down on the sofa next to Sara.

"And who taught his nephew how to play?" Laurel asked sarcastically, from her spot on the sofa across from the couple.

"Guilty. I'd say sorry, but MJ loves it," Leonard said.

"I love that you gave him that nickname and don't be sorry. Mick would have taught him to play, I'm sure," Laurel said with a smile. "I'm really glad he has you. It's not going to be easy for him to grow up without his dad, but I know that you'll be able to share your memories of Mick with him, and help me make sure Michael knows how amazing his dad was."

"I'm really glad we all have him in our lives. On the days I miss my best friend, MJ always reminds me that Mick's never really going to be gone. And you're right, boys need their dads, so I'll do everything I can to make sure Mick's memory is alive for MJ."

"Which brings me to my next point," Laurel said. "Your dad gets out in two weeks and Len, I really think you need to forgive him."

Laurel watched as Sara froze, she knew this was a hard subject, especially since it was what caused the break up but it wasn't Sara suggesting it, so Laurel figured it was worth a try.

"I'm going to go help Jess clean up," Sara said.

"No, stay," Leonard said, taking Sara's hand in his so she wouldn't leave.

"I know it's hard for you to talk about, after everything Len, but I truly believe Mick wouldn't want this for you. You guys were his family and he would have hated for this rift to have happened," Laurel said.

She watched him carefully, wondering if she had overstepped. Leonard was so hard to read at times, well most of the time really. It was the same trait Mick had, had, and even though they weren't brothers, Laurel could have sworn that if you hadn't known that, you would have thought they were.

Finally, Leonard let out a sigh, "I know," he said. "I'm going to go and see him on Tuesday, I figured that Sara and I could take MJ to see him, if that was okay with you? I know I have to talk to him myself, but I think I need to have a buffer or something the first time."

"That's fine with me," Laurel said looking across at Sara who had remained quiet. "Michael was asking the other day when he could go see Pa again."

"Thanks, Laurel," Leonard said before looking at Sara. "Babe, what do you say?"

Laurel watched Sara, much like she had with Leonard earlier; her sister, thankfully, was much easier to read than Leonard. Laurel could tell she was conflicted about the idea. Sara had seen Lewis a couple of times, so Laurel knew it was because she was worried that if Leonard saw his father, it could break them up again. Sara said nothing as she got off the couch and Laurel let out a sigh as Leonard went to follow her.

"I'll go," Laurel said, holding her hand out to stop Leonard.

She followed her sister down the hall into the study. Sara was staring out the window at the passing cars. Laurel walked over and lay her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"You want to tell me what's going on it that head of yours, or do you want me to tell you that I already know?" Laurel asked.

"What if seeing Lewis changes everything? What if I lose Leonard again?" Sara asked.

"It's a risk-"

"Gee thanks, great pep talk, sis," Sara said cutting Laurel off.

"You didn't let me finish. Yes, it a risk BUT I don't think it will. Len doesn't want to lose you again Sare, he is so in love with you. If anything, seeing Lewis is going to only make your relationship stronger, and that's what this family needs," Laurel said.

"What do you mean?"

"Lewis getting out gives us all a chance to start fresh, to be a family, unconventional sure, but I know this is what Mick would have wanted," Laurel said.

"So you think I should go with Len to see his dad?" Sara asked.

"I do, and if you take Michael then you can always take him out early and give Len time with Lewis if needed," Laurel replied.

"You're right, and that doesn't happen often," Sara said with a smirk as she turned to look at Laurel.

"You think you're so funny," Laurel said, pulling Sara into a hug. "Now go tell your boyfriend that you'll go with him, because no doubt he's sitting out there stressed."

The two Lance sisters walked back into the lounge and Sara nodded at Leonard as they did. Laurel stopped to watch as her sister moved into Leonard's arms and hugged him tightly. Before turning to look at her son still playing cards with Lisa and Ray.

"YES!" Michael exclaimed loudly. "I WON!"

Ray was shaking his head and trying to work out how he had been beaten by a four year old.

"What's wrong, Ray? Did you think you were going to have an easy game?" Sara asked as she and Leonard walked over to where Laurel was standing.

"Uncle Len, can I get your camera and take a photo of my winnings?" Michael asked.

"Sure Buddy, it's in my backpack in my room," Leonard said as the little boy was already running through the house.

"I just don't get it," Ray said, still in disbelief.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Ray, Len taught him how to play," Laurel said.

Ray's face turned to one of shock as he turned to look at Lisa.

"Did you know this?" he asked his girlfriend, as the room burst into laughter and Lisa just nodded at him.

Michael walked back into the room with a confused look of his face. He was holding a small box, opening and closing it.

"What's up, Bud, didn't you find it?" Leonard asked.

"It was there," Michael said dismissively. "It was next to this. It looks like Mommy's one."

Michael turned the box around and the room let out a collective gasp at the sight of a shining engagement ring.

Laurel turned and looked at Leonard, then looked past him at Sara, whose eyes had filled up with tears, before glancing around the room. Leonard moved to take the box off Michael, and Laurel couldn't help but feel as if they were all intruding on what should be a private moment. She pulled Michael to her and watched as Leonard got down on one knee in front of Sara, as Jessica and Quentin walked into the room.

She couldn't hear everything that Leonard said, but Laurel could see her sister nodding, and then she watched as Leonard slid the ring onto Sara's finger and stood up, pulling her into a kiss.

The rest of the evening was full of wedding ideas and laughter. Although as she drove home with Michael sleeping in his car seat, Laurel couldn't help but wish that Mick was there. He would have been so happy for Leonard and Sara, and while Sara had asked Laurel to be her maid of honor, she knew Leonard was going to have trouble finding a best man.

When she and Michael got home, Laurel carried him upstairs and tucked him into bed. She stood in the doorway and watched her son sleep for a moment before heading downstairs. She cleaned up the lounge and then the kitchen, flicking on the kettle as she did, to make herself a tea.

With her tea made, Laurel headed back upstairs. She got changed and climbed into bed, sighing as she opened her book and started to read. Once her tea was finished and her cup was empty she flicked off the light and rolled into her side. Laurel closed her eyes and hugged the pillow that had been Mick's to her side, it didn't smell like him anymore, but it was familiar.

"I always said you used to steal my pillow," Mick said.

Laurel opened her eyes and looked into the dark room. There, standing by the door, was Mick.

"What? How?" she asked.

"That doesn't matter," Mick said.

"We have a son," Laurel told him.

"I know, and he is amazing, just like his mother. You are doing an awesome job with him Laurel."

Tears welled up in Laurel's eyes as she gave him a sad smile. "Len and Sara got engaged tonight," she told him.

"About time if you ask me," Mick said.

"That's what Dad said, too," Laurel said with a laugh, wiping the escaped tears from her cheeks.

"Your father and I think a lot alike at times."

"It wasn't always that way, you never used to like him, not when we were in high school," Laurel said.

"Well he was a cop and I wasn't the most trustworthy person in the world, I didn't want to get caught. But how could I not like him now, not when he is doing such a great job and protecting my wife and son," Mick said.

Laurel let out a sigh as Mick leaned against the doorframe. There was so much to tell him, so much to share and no time to do it.

"I love you, Mick," Laurel said softly.

"I love you, too, Babe, and I want you to know that you are going to be okay, everything is going to be okay," Mick said.

Laurel shook her head confused. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you exactly, but I just need you to know that you'll be okay and that I love you and Michael more than anything," Mick said.

"I didn't say his name was Michael," Laurel said, turning to flick her bedside lamp on.

When she turned back to the door Mick was gone. Laurel shook her head, she was going crazy, she was sure of that, but something about talking to Mick made her feel like, somehow, someway, he was right.

She flicked the light off again and snuggled down into the bed again, somehow the room once more smelled like Mick, and Laurel smiled as she closed her eyes, everything was going to be okay, and she knew that no matter what happened Mick would be there watching over her.


End file.
